


How to Hide a Relationship

by dansrusse



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Community: pacificrimkink, F/M, Kidfic, M/M, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-02
Updated: 2013-08-02
Packaged: 2017-12-22 04:05:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/908687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dansrusse/pseuds/dansrusse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They have eight months to save the world, not just because in eight months they will have no funding, but because in eight months, they will have a child, and everything will change. Or, Hermann, Newt and Vanessa try to keep the fact that they are in a polyamorous relationship under wraps, and aren't very good at it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	How to Hide a Relationship

They've managed to keep their relationship quiet for two years, now, even though they met in the first place working for PPDC. Since Hermann and Vanessa were already married, they had to be careful. But they still spent holidays together, and those lucky months at the beginning where all three of them where assigned to the same Shatterdome, they put mattresses on the floor so they could all cram together in one bed (and maybe that wasn't very subtle, all of them cramming in one tiny bunker, but no one noticed, too busy curled up with their own partners). 

The year when all three of them were given different assignments was hard. Vanessa and Hermann could visit each other without things looking too strange, but Newt didn't have that option. They made do with video chats, and and the K-Science convention. 

The convention is the only time scientists from every Shatterdome get a chance to meet and talk in person. It's supposed to be an intermingling of thoughts and ideas, but so many of them have been there from the beginning it's more of a gathering of old friends, and chance to catch up and relax and get drunk.

That night, they curled up in the big hotel bed, and none of them got any sleep that night, drunk on each other, on the sheer giddiness of making love to someone who has been miles and miles away. Going back to work after that is hard, and Vanessa retires from PPDC soon after that. 

"I can't do this again," she told them, snuggled between them on the bed, still sleep-warm. "If I quit, we can buy a home, and both of you can come visit without worrying about who will see."

Newt kissed her on the nose. "Are you sure that's what you want to do?" he asked. "I thought you loved your job."

Vanessa sighed. "I did love it," she said. "I loved it when I was in my twenties, and on the verge of something new. But I don't want to watch another pilot die. And I don't want to spend nights knowing that one of my husbands can't come to see me. And -"

"You want a baby," Hermann said, and pulled her closer. 

"Is that alright?" she asked them. 

Newt smiled, and buried his face in her neck, tangled his hand with Hermann's on her hip. "I think it's wonderful."

"Are you sure it's what you want?" Hermann asked her.

"Yes...But do you think it's alright, to bring a child into this? Is that really fair?"

"It will get better," Newt promised her. "We'll make it better."

Vanessa put in her retirement that week. Her supervisor sighed, and told her that it couldn't come at a better moment. The Jaeger project was losing funding, and cuts were being made. 

They found out Vanessa was pregnant the day they found out that Hermann and Newt were being sent to the Hong Kong Shatterdome - and it was the last Shatterdome. They had eight months to save the world because after eight months, they would have a baby to worry about - and in eight months, the last remaining Shatterdome would be shutting down, whether or not the breach is still open. 

But they closed the breach - only two months after the United Nations had stated they will no longer be funding the Jaeger Program. 

There's still work to do, of course. Just because kaiju aren't actively passing through the breach doesn't mean there aren't things that humans can learn from them, and beside that, there's the bureaucracy and red tape that comes from saving the world. 

It's insane, but it's also kind of cool. But it means that they somehow have even less time to spend with Vanessa - which makes no sense at all, but that's the way it is. 

Now, though, they care a little less. Newt's tiny bunker is more of a formality than anything, because he spends all his nights (the ones he sleeps, anyway, he's always had trouble with that, needs both Vanessa and Hermann holding on to him before he's calm enough) in Hermann's. Most of his clothes are there, and everything else that matters is in the lab. 

Everyone is just as busy as they are, Mako and Raleigh treading this fresh new relationship, while she mourns her father, and acts as media ambassador for the entire program. Herc is trying to avoid dealing with the loss of his son by throwing himself whole-heartedly into getting funding back for the project. Tendo retrieving the lost jaegers - and their pilots, who don't deserve to rot at the bottom of the ocean. Raleigh has some how found himself running the Shatterdome itself, a position he's not sure he's qualified for, but that no one else is able to do quite as well. 

They discuss having Vanessa move to the Shatterdome with them, where they could all be together, everyday, but she's vehemently against it. 

"I have my parents here," she tells them. "We'll be OK."

It's hard, though, being away from her and knowing that there's a _baby_ , growing, almost ready, and they _aren't there_.  
"She misses you too," Vanessa says, angling her computer so her boys can see her stomach, swollen with child. She's almost full term, now, and when she lifts her shirt, they can see the outline of a tiny foot, pressing out from her abdomen. Hermann gasps, and she laughs.

"She's being doing that a lot, lately," Vanessa says. "She's a wiggle worm already."

"She take after you, then," Hermann says, pressing against Newt, who laughs. 

"We haven't seen her yet! I'm willing to bet she comes out looking just like you."

They pass the remaining month that way, sliding under the radar mostly because everyone else is too busy to notice, and then it's time to fly home.Newt tells people he's going for emotional support, but it's pretty clear that he's just as excited as Hermann is. They hold hands on the flight. Hermann is stronger than he looks, and Newt tells him that _he's_ going to have to be the one holding Vanessa's hand when the baby comes, because his are both broken.

They make it home just in time. They aren't even there three days when Vanessa's contractions start. Hermann wants to take her to the hospital right away, but she's not having any of that - they aren't close enough, yet.

"You tell him to calm down - you're the biologist!" She snaps at Newt, who's on the couch next to her rubbing her back.

"But I'm not a doctor!" he replies, and Vanessa just looks at him. It's common knowledge between the three of them that Newt had completed medical school to please his parents before going on and finishing several other doctorates while he taught at MIT. 

"I'm not an obstetrician," he relents. "But she's good for now. When her contractions are five minutes together we'll leave." He turns to Vanessa. "Unless your doctor told you something else?"

"He told me exactly that." She smiles, and pulles Hermann down onto the seat next to her. "We have a little while to go before that. Probably at least an hour."

Vanessa's right, almost to the minute. They arrive at the hospital with time to spare, and are greeted by her obstetrician, who Hermann and Newt have only met once before. They've had vid chats, which apparently is more normal than it sounds, with so many deployed, but this is their second time meeting in person. 

"Welcome, Drs. Gottleib, and Dr. Giezler " she says. "We are going straight back into the birthing room. Vanessa, if you would please sit down in this wheel chair - "

The birth is not quick. Vanessa labors for fifteen long, long hours. Hermann paces. Newt, surprisingly, is still for once. He sits behind Vanessa, supporting her, and holding her hand, while Hermann panics at the nurses. (He doesn't notice Newt talking quietly to them, telling them to ignore him, he's just nervous.)

They name the baby Katrin, after Newton's mother, because she'll never be able to meet her grandbaby.

Newt and Hermann stay one month after the baby is born, and then they're both expected back at the Shatterdome.

Now, though, people look at them differently, because really, there was no reason for Newt to stay the entire time Hermann did. He says he was helping out - of course no one believes that. 

It's even harder for the two of them to be away from her now that they're also away from Katrin as well - and there's no telling when they'll be able to move back to Berlin. So they help Vanessa and the baby move to an apartment in Hong Kong, not far from the Shatterdome and big enough for all of them. They aren't the first two to move out - Tendo had moved out as soon it was possible, and Mako and Raleigh have an apartment in the city as well. 

Of course, questions arise, and they're starting to wonder if hiding the true nature of their relationship is even worth while. They're all four going to be living together, and people are going to ask questions. (People already ask questions. They named Katrin after _Newt's_ mother, not Vanessa's or Hermann's.)

The debate becomes moot as soon as Vanessa shows up at the Shatterdome, holding three month old Katrin. Mako catches Newt rocking her while Vanessa and Hermann catches up on some much-needed sleep in their former quarters.

"She looks just like you," she says.

"Huh - oh. Thanks, I guess." he looks down at the little girl in his arms, and she reaches up, tugging on his tie."

"She's as much yours as she is Vanessa and Hermann's, isn't she?"

Newt smiles softly. "Yeah, she's our baby girl."

"Congratulations," Mako said, sitting down next to him. "You know, the entire Shatterdome has placed bets on whether or not the three of you are involved."

Newt laughs out loud, startling Katrin. "I'm not surprised. We're not very good at the whole 'subtle' thing. Don't tell Hermann, though. I think he'd pass out."

"Don't worry. I will not tell."

Of course, Mako's promise is only so good - what she knows, Raleigh knows, and the very next day Newt finds him in the office he still shares with Hermann. 

"I hear congratulations are in order."

"You're a bit late for that."

Raleigh shrugs. "I'm not the one keeping secrets. When are you all planning on telling everyone?"

Newt shrugs. It's up to Hermann at this point - he's worried. Vanessa and Newt don't care anymore - if someone doesn't like what they've got, that's their problem. He turns to face Raleigh, grinning. 

"That depends on who's set to lose when the truth comes out."

"Oh man, I don't even know. I know Tendo's in to win a bunch." The smile falls off his face. "But I think a bunch of that was supposed to come from Chuck."

"How's Herc?"

"Busy. But he's doing better. He's stopped trying to forget his grief in work, anyway."

"That's good. He still has to meet Katrin. I think he'd like her."

Raleigh looks down, and smiles. "I think he would, too."

In the end, Tendo still wins the most money. Sasha and Aleksis would have beat him out, had they been there, though so he puts the money towards restoring Cherno Alpha. While it's no longer operational, museums everywhere are clamoring for it. Sasha had always liked attention. He thinks she would like that. (Sasha is Katrin's middle name. Tendo thinks she would have liked that, too.)

Katrin has an entire Shatterdome full of extended family, and she has three loving, doting parents. She will reach the stars.

**Author's Note:**

> I really hoped you liked it! It's been a long time since I've been motivated to write something, but this pairing just really struck me. I love the idea of the three of them being in this relationship, but having to keep things quiet. And having a baby! So I love babies. Whoops. 
> 
> Unedited and unbeta'd. Sorry.
> 
> <3


End file.
